Code 911: heroin edition

The story of Jim Erickson, father of three, who OD'd on heroin in August 2013.

The Kitsap Sun’s reporters and editors review every felony filed in Kitsap County where there is an arrest. Over the years, they’ve seen heroin’s damaging effects, including a man who nearly bled to death when he was injecting heroin into his neck and a woman found using the drug while her two children sat in the back seat.

Here are 10 recent court filings involving heroin in Kitsap:

Sept. 5 — Wheaton Way: A 37-year-old Bremerton woman was witnessed “shooting up” in a car in the parking lot of a business. When police arrived, it appeared she was just about to put a needle into her left upper thigh. She admitted to police she has a problem with heroin and wanted help. Police found the heroin inside the car; she was jailed, as was the man she was with in the car. Both had warrants.

Sept. 8 — Wycoff Avenue, Bremerton: A 55-year-old Port Orchard man was found passed out in an alley. He was found with heroin in four pill bottles and other prescription medications. He was taken to Harrison Medical Center for treatment and then jailed.

Sept. 10 — Highway 305 at Bond Road, Poulsbo: An officer investigating a burglary talks to a man on the side of the road. He admits to having heroin in his pocket and “a lot of needles” in his backpack. He also had a spoon that appeared to have burned heroin residue on it. He was jailed.

Sept. 11 — Dwight Street, Port Orchard: Police learned that two people were injecting heroin into their arms in a car. When the officer arrived, a 22-year-old Belfair woman was just about to inject herself. She was arrested and jailed.

Sept. 18 — Finley Road, Poulsbo: A Poulsbo man, 38, was arrested after Kitsap County sheriff’s deputies used a confidential informant to buy meth from the man. Aside from meth, deputies found “dime baggies” of heroin in a closet’s “hide-a-key” box.

Sept. 23 — Port Orchard Walmart: A 49-year-old woman was caught shoplifting clothes by trying to wear them out of the store and stuff them into her purse. She was found with Valium and admitted to Port Orchard police she was a heroin addict.

Sept. 23 — Suquamish Clearwater Casino: A car stolen in Port Orchard was found at the casino. Security tracked down one of three people who had been spotted going to and from the car and detained one of them. In searching the man, 26, of Bremerton, they found a ferry schedule in his pocket that contained tin foil, upon which were small amounts of heroin and crack cocaine. He also had a digital scale. Inside the car, pills used to treat opiate addiction and a sharps container full of used needles was located. He was taken to jail. Arrangements were made to return the car to its rightful owner.

Sept. 26 — Port Orchard: A Port Orchard man, 25, was stopped for having a suspended license. He was arrested and allowed a Port Orchard officer to search his car, including the center console where the man said heroin was inside. The officer found a piece of aluminum foil, which had a “partially burned lump” of heroin on it. A pen tube, presumably used to smoke the heroin off the foil, also was found inside. He went to jail.

Sept. 30 — East Bremerton: A Washington state trooper watches as a car makes off with a pressure washer from Lowe’s in East Bremerton in the early morning. The trooper caught up with the car and, upon removing the pressure washer, found a syringe filled with heroin inside a banana peel. The man, 49, of Bremerton, was taken to jail. The man admitted he’d used heroin and showed the trooper track marks on his arm.

Oct. 1 — Point Julia parking lot, Port Gamble reservation: Four people were found in a car late in the evening, one of whom was holding a prescription pill container that had black-tar heroin in it. Two were arrested, including a 26-year-old Silverdale man.